As a leader in your workplace, it is up to you to create a productive, sustainable, and healthy work atmosphere for your employees or team members. To do this is beneficial to establish one of the following effective leadership styles in the workplace.

Why is it Important to Understand Different Styles?

You have likely worked with managers who have created an excellent (or not so excellent) workplace throughout your career. Leaders utilize different skillsets and strengths to consciously or unconsciously create a leadership style. Seeing how different styles impact the workplace will help you determine which leadership style will work best for you and your team, as well as what actions you need to take to become that leader.

Effective Leadership Styles in the Workplace

1: Democratic Leadership

Democratic leadership is when the leader involves the team by asking for input or opinions before a final decision is made. This is one of the most effective leadership styles in the workplace for increased productivity, job satisfaction, diversity, and team building. However, it is known for slowing down decision-making. This style of leadership is recommended for teams where brainstorming and innovation are critical.

2: Laissez-Faire Leadership

Laissez-Faire leadership is a hands-off approach where projects are delegated to teams or members to complete with little oversight. This allows for tremendous personal growth, development, and freedom. However, it can lead to confusion, isolation, and passivity. Generally, this is recommended only for teams with highly developed skills, resources, and motivation.

3: Transactional Leadership

Transactional leadership is a “carrot or stick” philosophy where effective performance is rewarded, and poor performance receives penalties. While this system works well for reward-motivated teams because it provides clear systems, it can also discourage creativity and development. This is one of the most effective leadership styles in the workplace where the job is routine and employees need little input.

4: Transformational Leadership

Transformational leadership is one of the most effective leadership styles in the workplace for those looking to nurture creativity, development, and “thinking outside the box” due to leaders heavily emphasizing the empowerment and well-being of their team. However, this leadership style requires constant feedback, oversight, and can be a high-risk/high-reward method. This style is recommended for businesses focusing on innovation.

5: Bureaucratic & Autocratic Leadership

Bureaucratic leaders focus on strict rules, regulations, and organization. It is excellent for job positions that require massive manufacturing or regulated output, but it does not allow for creativity or adaptability. It is very similar to Autocratic Leadership, where there is a top-down approach to communication and little emphasis on work relationships. While effective, these two styles only work in specific industries.

6: Coaching Leadership

This style of leadership focuses on teaching and developing the team to reach higher goals. Coaching leadership is an effective style when the leaders are skilled and competent, the employees accept mentorship, and innovation is a cornerstone of projects. However, it is essential to note that this leadership style is often time-consuming.

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